Department for Transport

Ports: Wales

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the additional resources needed at Welsh ports following Brexit.

baroness sugg: The Government is working closely with Welsh ports, with ferry operators and with the Welsh Government to ensure that the ports can continue to facilitate the flow of trade with Ireland after we leave the EU.

Bus Services: Concessions

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in assembling the information required for their 2016 reportEvaluation of Concessionary Bus Travel,whether any monetary value was attributed to the effect on concessionary pass holders in decisions to curtail or withdraw bus services in rural areas; and whether, in making those calculations, any financial benefit was ascribed to the Treasury from tax raised from such people using their own or someone else's car for journeys.

baroness sugg: No. We did not include monetary benefits gained from bus services being withdrawn in our analysis. It would be for the local authority to undertake such analysis when making decisions on their local bus services as the Department for Transport does not make decisions on running local bus services.

Bus Service Operators Grant

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much of the money transferred to local authorities from the Bus Service Operators Grant has been used (1) for sustaining bus services, and (2) to support other local authority services,since April 2012.

baroness sugg: Bus Services Operators Grant (BSOG) spend has been published annually on GOV.UK since 1 April 2013. Since 1 October 2013, £2.9m per annum of BSOG previously paid to local authorities for running community transport services has been devolved to local authorities. From 1 January 2014, a further £39.4m per annum of BSOG previously paid to bus operators for running tendered services (outside of London) has been devolved to individual local authorities. BSOG grants paid to a local authority may only be used for the purposes of: supporting bus services (including community transport services run under section 19 permits) or for the provision of infrastructure supporting such services.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Company Accounts

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Henley on 5 March (HL5591), whether the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) intended to publish (1) the Opinion of Mr Moore QC, and (2) the instructions on which that Opinion was based; and if the FRC intended to publish the Opinion but not the instructions, why.

lord henley: The Financial Reporting Council intended to publish the opinion of Martin Moore QC and not instructions provided to him. The opinion was self-standing.

Company Accounts

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Henley on 5 March (HL5591), whether the statement on accounting standards by the Minister for Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs, published on 3 October 2013, was based on the Opinion of Mr Moore QC; if so, whether she knew the question or questions put to Counsel for that Opinion; and if applicable, why the content of that Opinion was taken into account in preparing that statement.

lord henley: The statement made by the then Minister for Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs was based on internal advice including legal advice, which is the subject of legal professional privilege. The advice also included consideration of the draft opinion that was in preparation by Martin Moore QC because of its relevance to the statement.

Sunday Trading: Remembrance Day

lord cormack: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether theyintend tointroducelegislation to extend the restrictions applied to retail trade on Easter Sunday to Sunday 11 November to mark the end of the First World War.

lord henley: The Government recognises the importance of the anniversary of the end of the First World War. The change proposed would require the introduction of new primary legislation and the Government has no current plans to introduce legislation to extend the restrictions applied to large retail premises’ trading hours on Easter Sunday to Sunday 11 November. There will be many retailers large and small who choose to demonstrate their respect for this significant occasion and remain closed.

Energy: Meters

baroness byford: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a smart meter fitted in domestic premises will be replaced free of charge if a householder switches energy supplier to one whose systems are not compatible with its use.

lord henley: When consumers with first generation smart (SMETS1) meters switch energy supplier, if the new supplier is not able to operate the meter in 'smart' mode, the meter will continue to record energy consumption accurately and can be used in 'traditional' mode. The Data and Communications Company is developing a solution to move SMETS1 meters onto the national communications infrastructure to enable consumers to retain their smart services upon switching. This can be done remotely.Second generation smart (SMETS2) meters will be fully compatible between energy providers, therefore allowing all consumers to retain smart services when they switch energy suppliers.

Iron and Steel

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much steel was produced in the UK in 2017.

lord henley: Statistics from the World Steel Association show that 7.5 million tonnes of crude steel was produced in the UK in 2017.

Working Hours: EU Law

lord livermore: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to abolish all EU-derived working time regulations after Brexit.

lord henley: My Rt hon Friend the Prime Minister has made a clear commitment to protect workers’ rights and the EU (Withdrawal) Bill will ensure that workers’ rights currently enjoyed under EU law will continue to be available in UK law after we have left the EU. The Government has no intention to abolish any EU-derived working time regulations after Brexit.

Nuclear Power Stations

lord stoddart of swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government what investment they are making in the research and development of small modular nuclear plants; and how many small modular nuclear plants will be operational when all coal-fired power stations are phased out.

lord henley: In December 2017 Government announced up to £44m, over the next 3 years, for the Advanced Modular Reactor (AMR) Programme. The aim of this programme is to assess the feasibility of innovative reactor projects and to accelerate development of promising designs. Government also announced up to £12m for the UK Regulators to increase their capability and capacity to assess and license new designs. The Government has committed to phasing out electricity generation using unabated coal by 2025. It is unlikely that any small modular reactor nuclear plants would be operational in the UK by this date. However, several small reactor developers have expressed an interest in entering the UK Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process in the near future. GDA is a process that enables regulators to assess new nuclear reactor designs in advance of an application to build a reactor at a specific site.

Space Technology

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatestimate they have made of the value to the UK economy of the space industry.

lord henley: The UK’s space industry had revenues of £13.8bn in 2014/15, directly employing 38,500 jobs and contributing £5.1 billion Gross Value-Added to UK economic output. Moreover, Space services and data contribute to a broad range of industrial activities across the UK economy. London Economics, in their Sector Size and Health report for the UK Space Agency, estimated that over £250 billion (14%) of the UK’s non-financial business economy GDP was supported by satellite services in the same period.

Groceries Code Adjudicator

baroness mcintosh of pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the extension of the remit of the Groceries Code Adjudicator to cover (1) indirect supply chains including those for dairy products, and (2) the right to undertake own initiative investigations and receive complaints from third parties such as farming organisations.

lord henley: The Government published a Call for Evidence on the extension of the remit of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) in 2017. Although there was insufficient evidence to justify an extension of the GCA’s role, the Government response, published on the 16th February 2018, set out a range of measures to help farmers and small producers compete and thrive alongside larger businesses in the food supply chain. These include a £10 million collaboration fund and compulsory dairy contracts and sheep carcase classification. The GCA has the statutory powers to carry out an investigation if the Adjudicator has reasonable grounds to suspect that a large retailer has breached the Groceries Code or has failed to follow a recommendation made following a previous investigation by the Adjudicator on action it should take to comply with the Code. The reasonable grounds to suspect a breach might be based on evidence supplied by direct or indirect suppliers, third parties (such as trade associations or farming organisations), other retailers, whistle-blowers or information which is in the public domain.

West of England Local Enterprise Partnership

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the democratic accountability of the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership.

lord henley: The West of England Local Enterprise Partnership is a private and public sector partnership to support growth and productivity. It brings together business and civic leaders to help drive local decision-making. All strategic decisions, including funding decisions, are made by the Mayors and Leaders of the four Local Authority members of the Local Enterprise Partnership. The Mayors and Leaders are democratically elected and represent their constituents’ views and needs which inform their decision making. Through a £283.5m Growth Deal programme, the Local Enterprise Partnership is funding projects ranging from infrastructure to business incubation spaces, to help grow the West of England economy.

Research: EU Grants and Loans

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to renew the UK's membership of the EU framework programme for research and development after Brexit.

lord henley: We want to ensure that the next EU framework programme for research and development (FP9) remains focused on excellence, with appropriate financial contributions and suitable level of influence for Associated Countries. We have set out further detail in our recent FP9 position paper and sought to assure the EU of our commitment to ongoing collaboration in Science and Innovation. The UK’s participation in FP9 will depend upon the outcome of our negotiations with the EU.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Iraq: Minority Groups

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Iraq about reports of (1) the killing of a Christian doctor and two members of his family in a home invasion, and (2) the murder of a member of the Sabean Mandaean community who was kidnapped from his shop, in Baghdad earlier this month; andwhat efforts are underway to bring those responsible for those crimes to justice.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of reports of the recent killing of a doctor and his family and of a kidnapping in Baghdad. We continue to make it clearto the Government of Iraq at the highest levels the importance of ensuring civilians are protected and that human rights are respected.We welcome Prime Minister Abadi's commitment in his weekly statement to protect all Iraqi citizens and pursue every criminal who threatens the security of Iraqi citizens.

Iraq: Minority Groups

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq about practical steps that can be taken to (1) support and protect Iraq’s minority communities, (2) ensure the return home of members of minority communities persecuted by Daesh, and (3) encourage Iraq’s government, religious, political and civic leaders to prioritise the protection of minority communities.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK's Ambassador to Iraq works closely with the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General to support the Government of Iraq's efforts to stabilise the country and protect all communities. Through our Embassy in Baghdad and Consulate-General in Erbil, alongside UN officials and our other international partners, we consistently urge the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government to ensure the safe, voluntary and unhindered return of all Internally Displaced Persons, including minorities, supported by the prospect of genuine community reconciliation. We recognise that security is one of the main concerns facing not just minorities but many other displaced Iraqis wanting to return home. Ultimately, restoring security in liberated areas and creating an environment that is safe for everyone is the responsibility of the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government.

Iraq: Minority Groups

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recent statement by the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq that “Iraq needs all its components, all its ethnic and religious groups, to rebuild in the post-Daesh period and prosper in the future as a stable and united country”; and what assessment they have made of progress made in bringing those responsible for persecuting minority communities in Iraq to justice.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We strongly agree with the statement by the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq that all Iraq's communities have a role in rebuilding their country. Inclusive, representative governance is critical to winning the peace in Iraq and ensuring that all Iraq's communities can enjoy a more secure, stable and prosperous future.The UK is at the forefront of global efforts to bring Daesh to justice, including for their crimes against minorities. On 21 September 2017, the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to adopt Resolution 2379 which establishes an Investigative Team to gather evidence of Daesh crimes, beginning in Iraq. The UK has committed £1m to the establishment of this team.

Burma: Human Rights

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking, if any, to promote the conclusions and recommendations of the report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, published on 9 March.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We support the work of the UN Special Rapporteur, Ms Lee. We continue to urge the Burmese authorities to cooperate with her, not least by allowing her access into Burma. As the Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific, Mark Field MP, made clear in his statement to the House on 15 March, we agree with many of the principal conclusions of her report, and will look for opportunities to address her recommendations where possible. The Foreign Secretary has been clear that the violence against the Rohingya is ethnic cleansing. We continue to work with our international partners on what can be done, both to assist the victims and to bring those responsible to justice. The immediate task is to support those gathering information, which may be useful for any potential future judicial process. In line with the Special Rapporteur's recommendations, the Government is considering how to support better co-ordination between organisations collecting testimony in Bangladesh, through an international or local mechanism. We continue to urge the Burmese authorities to ensure basic rights for all and stand ready to support the Government of Burma in implementing the Annan Commission's recommendations to this end.

Libya: Freezing of Assets

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that €10 billion in frozen Libyan government assets disappeared from Euroclear Bank in Belgium between 2013 and 2017.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are concerned by these reports. The UN Security Council has made clear that assets frozen pursuant to paragraph 17 of Resolution 1970 (2011) should at a later stage be made available to and for the benefit of the Libyan people. We will follow up with the Belgian Government.

Libya: Freezing of Assets

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with EU institutions and other member states regarding the reported disappearance of Libyan government assets frozen in Belgium.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We regularly discuss the situation in Libya with our EU partners, in pursuit of our commitment to supporting the peace, security and stability in Libya through the Action Plan proposed by the UN Special Representative to Libya, Ghassan Salame. We have not yet had specific discussions on the reports of the alleged disappearance from Belgium of assets frozen by the UN and EU in 2011 with respect to Libya. We will follow up the issue with the Belgian Government.

Iraq: Aviation

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, if any, with the government of Iraq and the regional government of Kurdistan regarding the resumption of international flights to Erbil.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are pleased that Prime Minister Abadi has announced that the suspension of international flights into the Kurdistan Region will be lifted shortly. The UK had been urging both sides to reach an agreement that would enable international flights to resume at the earliest opportunity. Ministers – including the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary – as well as officials at our Posts in Iraq have consistently pressed this message since the suspension came into force following the Kurdistan Region's unilateral referendum on independence from Iraq in September 2017.

Saudi Arabia: Human Rights

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they discussed a review of the heavy prison sentences imposed on eleven members of the Saudi Association for Political and Civil Rights in August 2017 with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, during his recent visit to the UK.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary raised human rights during the Crown Prince's visit. We raise our concerns at all levels and at all appropriate opportunities, including through our Ambassador, Embassy staff and through the EU. The UK has raised the issues of the sentences imposed on human rights defenders in Saudi Arabia and the use of the Special Criminal Court (SCC) to prosecute activists. HMA Riyadh raised this issue in January, February and March of this year with the Saudi Authorities. Representatives of our Embassy in Riyadh attend all trials of activists at the SCC that they are permitted to by the authorities.Our starting point for engagement on human rights with all countries is based on what is practical, realistic and achievable, and we will always be ready to speak out as a matter of principle. Ministers frequently discuss human rights and raise concerns with the Saudi Arabian government.

Syria: Chemical Weapons

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to the statement by France and the United States that they are prepared to use military force to maintain red lines preventing the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK shares the concerns of France and the United States about continuing reports of chemical weapons use by the Syrian regime. UK officials are in regular contact with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, whose experts are investigating the allegations of chemical weapon use in Eastern Ghouta, alongside a number of other incidents in the past two years. The British Government has made clear that it condemns the use of chemical weapons by anyone anywhere and that those who use chemical weapons should be held to account.There are no current plans for military action against the Asad regime. UK efforts are focused on using every lever to de-escalate the conflict in Syria and ultimately to achieve a political settlement.

Foreign Relations

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the UK maintains its influence on the global stage.

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their definition of Global Britain; and what that concept entails in relation to Government policy.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Global Britain is an ambition and vision that will help secure our national security, prosperity and influence. It is how we adjust positively to a changing world, demonstrating our resolve to remain a big and influential player. It is also how we show that our global engagement and leadership are fundamentally in the security and prosperity interests of the British people.The UK's influence is based on an array of factors, including: the strength of our economy; our alliances and partnerships; UK military, diplomatic and development capabilities; our permanent membership of the UN Security Council; and, our broad soft-power assets. We will use these in a co-ordinated way to deliver the vision of Global Britain: upholding the essential rules of a peaceful world, working in partnership with old friends and new allies, projecting our values and advancing UK interests.We are investing in the capabilities we need to drive forward this agenda. Our overseas network underpins our influence and we have recently announced a network expansion of around 10 sovereign missions, and at least 250 diplomats.​

Israel Defense Forces: British Nationals Abroad

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many British citizens are currently serving in the Israel Defence Force.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The Government has made no assessment of the number of British or British-Israeli citizens serving in the Israel Defence Forces.

Hebron: Israel

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the status of Palestinians living in the part of Hebron City, known as H2, which is directly controlled by Israel.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli authorities.

Hebron: Israel

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel about why Palestinians in the South Hebron Hills are being prevented from accessing and working their land.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We have not had any discussions with the Israeli authorities on this issue. We remain deeply concerned, however, about restrictions on freedom of movement within the West Bank.

Department of Health and Social Care

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

lord shinkwin: To ask Her Majesty's Government with which professional bodies and third sector bodies they had discussions in developing the green paper Transforming children and young people's mental health provision.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Green Paper team, across the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Education, had discussions with over 90 professional and third sector bodies on development of the Green Paper. A list of these stakeholders is attached due to the size of the data. This includes engagement before the Green Paper’s publication and during the consultation period through national roundtables, telephone conferences for large groups of additional stakeholders, focus groups and many bilateral discussions. The teams in both the Department of Health Social Care and the Department for Education also spoke about the Green Paper and engaged with stakeholders at a number of events and conferences organised by others.The list may not be completely exhaustive of all bodies the two Departments engaged with. For example, discussions with stakeholders also took place in the margins of events or through networking opportunities, and with various individual schools and colleges.



List of stakeholders
(Word Document, 23.92 KB)

Psychiatry: Greater Manchester

lord bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many additional child and adolescent psychiatrists have been recruited by the NHS in Greater Manchester in each of the last two years.

lord o'shaughnessy: NHS Digital publishes information on workforce statistics and the latest data shows that the number of full time equivalent (FTE) child and adolescent psychiatrists in Greater Manchester increased by 13 between September 2015 and September 2017.The following table shows the number of FTE child and adolescent psychiatrists employed in Greater Manchester between September 2015 and November 2017 and is the latest data available.NHS Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS): Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists in Greater Manchester, as at 30 September for each specified year and latest data available, (FTE):YearChild and Adolescent Psychiatrists (FTE)September 201559September 201659September 201772November 201775 Source: NHS Digital Monthly Hospital and Community Health Service (HCHS) workforce statisticsNotes:FTE figures are given as this is the most accurate measure of service capacity.FTE figures are rounded to the nearest whole number.

Department for International Development

Yemen: Cholera

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the causes of the ongoing cholera epidemic in Yemen; and what assistance they are providing to the more than one million people affected.

lord bates: Yemen has suffered from one of the worst cholera outbreaks ever recorded, at almost 1.1 million suspected cases. Although new cases have declined, cholera is likely to resurge during the upcoming rainy season. Estimates put 74% of districts (representing 22 million people) at risk. The reason that cholera, a treatable condition which stems from using contaminated water, is so difficult to control is because systems like public health and water and sanitation have broken down. DFID provided £8 million in the financial year 2017/18 to UNICEF and the International Organization for Migration for prevention, for example providing households with chlorine tablets for drinking water, and treatment for those who are affected. We are now encouraging the UN to have a robust preparedness plan for the upcoming rainy season and have helped to fund the planned cholera vaccination campaign through our core-funding to GAVI.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Armed Conflict

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) the findings of the report by the International Rescue CommitteeA Silent Crisis in Congo: The Bantu and the Twa in Tanganyika that between July 2016 and March 2017 more than 400 villages in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been destroyed, and (2) the findings of the report by UNHCR that in 2017 (a) 1.7 million people across the DRC were forced to flee their homes, (b) 3.9 million remain internally displaced, and(c) more than 600,000 refugees from the DRC are spread over 11 African countries.

lord bates: The UK government has read the report by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and by the UNHCR. We agree with the findings of the reports however, the needs have since increased significantly and the humanitarian crisis is now the biggest in Africa. 13.1 million people now require humanitarian assistance. 4.5 million people are internally displaced – the highest number in Africa. Over 680,000 refugees from the DRC are now in over 14 other countries in Africa.

Overseas Aid

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to act on the proposal made by David Cameron, in his role as chairman of the Commission on State Fragility, Growth and Development, that nations who fail to meet "basic norms of governance", and whose leaders are corrupt, should not continue to be recipients of UK aid.

lord bates: Strengthening governance, and tackling crime and corruption, is fundamental to poverty reduction overseas and promotes our national security at home. UK aid focuses on tackling poverty and building stability in developing countries, which includes combatting corruption and helping developing countries to build robust institutions and tax systems so they can stand on their own two feet. Where a government fails to demonstrate long-term commitment to the values we expect of them, including good governance and tackling corruption, we do not fund that government directly but channel our support in other ways, for example, through non-governmental or multilateral organisations, to ensure it reaches the people who need it most.

Overseas Aid

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government which of the countries cited by David Cameron, in his role as chairman of the Commission on State Fragility, Growth and Development, as "poorer than they were 40 years ago despite the aid that has been delivered there" have been recipients of UK aid; and how much aid has been provided to each of those countries over the last 30 years.

lord bates: DFID is not aware of the specific countries David Cameron was citing, nor is there a single comprehensive measure of wealth from which to derive those countries from. However, information on how much official development assistance the UK provides to individual developing countries is published in Statistics on International Development, which is available with this link:Statistics on International Development 2017 - GOV.UK



Statistics on International Development 2017
(PDF Document, 2.43 MB)

Iraq: Refugees

lord mcinnes of kilwinning: To ask Her Majesty's Government what dialogue they are holding with the governments of (1) Jordan, (2) Lebanon, and (3) Turkey, to ascertain the number of Iraqi refugees hosted by those countries who wish to return to Iraq, and the obstacles stopping those refugees from so doing.

lord mcinnes of kilwinning: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance they are providing to the government of Iraq to allow the safe return of refugees from neighbouring host countries.

lord bates: The UK has committed over £30million to help stabilise liberated areas in Iraq by delivering basic services like water and electricity, rebuilding livelihoods, removing mines and supporting community reconciliation. This will contribute to creating the right conditions for refugees and internally displaced people from across the region to safely return to their areas of origin. The UK is also financially supporting Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey in meeting the humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable refugees from across the region, including from Iraq, to alleviate pressure on local communities hosting refugees. The UK is committed to ensuring that any refugee returns take place voluntarily in safety and dignity, in line with international law. We work closely with UNHCR, the official agency mandated to lead discussions with Government, and advocate strongly in refugee host countries on this basis. UNHCR estimate that the total registered Iraqi refugee population is currently 152,976 in Turkey; 17,411 in Lebanon and 60,000 in Jordan.

Iraq: Overseas Aid

lord northbrook: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the level of UK aid to the Republic of Iraq was last increased.

lord bates: The Prime Minister announced a further £20million in humanitarian support and £30million in stabilisation support to the Republic of Iraq during her visit to Baghdad in November 2017. Additionally, at the recent Kuwait Conference for Reconstruction the Minister for the Middle East pledged £1.5 million of new funding for the repair of housing in Mosul through the UN’s Funding Facility for Stabilisation which brings the total number of houses that UK funds will repair to 2,000. The Minister also pledged £8 million of new funding, delivered through UNICEF, to improve the water networks and sanitation facilities for 600,000 people, and to deliver better sanitation in health facilities and schools.

Department for Education

Schools: Labour Turnover

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the public sector pay cap on the recruitment and retention of staff in schools.

lord agnew of oulton: The public sector pay cap is no longer in place and we are now adopting a more flexible approach. Research suggests that pay is not the main driver of teachers leaving the profession, and teachers tend not to leave for better paid jobs. The average salary of classroom teachers aged between 21-30 is £27,000 compared to an average salary of £25,000 for all 21-30 year old graduates. The employer contribution to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme on behalf of the teaching staff average 16.4%, a significant benefit that should be taken into account when considering the overall remuneration available to teachers.  The remit letter to the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB), stated that the STRB should utilise this flexibility to target the next pay award to promote recruitment and retention. The fundamental changes to teachers’ pay that have been introduced over the last four years, following the STRB’s recommendations, have given greater autonomy to schools to decide how to reward their staff. This increased flexibility helps schools to attract and retain the best teachers.

Special Educational Needs: Inspections

lord shinkwin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions the Department for Education has had with the Department of Health and Social Care about the findings of the Ofsted and CQC reportLocal area SEND inspections: one year on,published on 18 October 2017, particularly in respect of the finding that access to therapy services was weak in half the local areas inspected.

lord agnew of oulton: Officials from the Department for Education (DfE), Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England (NHSE) are working together closely to implement the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms underpinned by the Children and Families Act 2014. We are addressing the finding on access to therapy services through follow up by DfE and NHSE officials with the individual local areas following the publication of an inspection report. This is particularly the case where Ofsted and CQC have required a local area to produce a written statement of action to address weaknesses. We are about to launch a two-year national trial looking at extending the powers of the First-tier Tribunal (SEND) to make non-binding recommendations on the health and social care aspects of Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans. Currently the First-tier Tribunal (SEND) hears appeals with regard to education only. Health and social care aspects of EHC plans are resolved through separate complaint routes. The trial will give the Tribunal the power to consider all parts of a child’s EHC plan. We are trialling this (following an earlier small-scale pilot) as we need to gather further evidence to understand whether the new appeal route is easier for families, the impact on health and social care and whether recommendations are followed. These new powers will apply to local authority decisions made and EHC plans issued or amended from 3 April 2018. We are working with stakeholders, which include DHSC and NHSE, through the Children’s Complex Needs board and across the Transforming Care programme to assure better support across health and care services for children and young people Finally, the green paper, ‘Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision’, set out our proposals on how to improve access to mental health support for children and young people including those with SEND.

Education: Social Mobility

lord shinkwin: To ask Her Majesty's Government with which professional bodies and third sector bodies they had discussions in developing their plan for improving social mobility through educationUnlocking Talent, Fulfilling Potential, published in December 2017.

lord agnew of oulton: The department engaged a wide range of organisations during development of ‘Unlocking Talent, Fulfilling Potential’. This included think tanks, academics, sector bodies such as teaching unions and other representative groups, employers and children’s charities. Through meetings and roundtables, we discussed the department’s cross-cutting ambitions to improve opportunity across life stages and the country, as well as individual policies within the document. ‘Unlocking Talent, Fulfilling Potential’ was warmly received by key stakeholders including the Education Endowment Foundation, the Sutton Trust, Teach First, the Careers and Enterprise Company, the National Association of Head Teachers, the Association of Colleges, Universities UK, and the Consortium of Business and Industry.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

lord shinkwin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the proposed composition of the national leadership board for children and young people with high needs set out in the green paper Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision.

lord agnew of oulton: One of the key recommendations of the independent review of special residential schools and colleges, Good Intentions, Good Enough?, was for a new National Leadership Board for children and young people with high needs, reporting to my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families. We have invited Dame Christine Lenehan and Mark Geraghty, who conducted the review, to sit on the board; and will confirm the other members in due course.

Department for International Trade

Chemical Weapons

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to instate a prohibition of the export from the UK of any chemical component that can be used to make poison gas.

baroness fairhead: The UK operates one of the most robust export control regimes in the world. The UK controls the export of chemical warfare agents and key precursor chemicals as specified in the Chemical Weapons Convention and by the Australia Group international export control regime. We can also prevent the export of any other chemical where we have reason to believe that the export concerned may be intended for use in a chemical weapons programme.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Food: Marketing

baroness jones of whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in developing a strong brand image to symbolise food which has been grown and produced in the UK.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Food is GREAT brand image is used on communications and marketing activity here and abroad to promote produce from the UK food and drink industry. The campaign underpins Government’s work to showcase the depth, breadth and quality of UK food and drink abroad. In 2017, UK food, feed and drink exports were worth £22 billion. This represents an increase of 7.7% from 2016.

Agriculture: Subsidies

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of agricultural support in the UK comes from EU funds.

lord gardiner of kimble: Across the UK £3.95 billion is provided a year under the Common Agricultural Policy. Of this, around 93% is funding from the EU, with around 7% being national funding provided under rural development programmes.

Home Office

Agriculture: Seasonal Workers

baroness byford: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer byLord Gardiner of Kimble on 28 June 2017 (HL Deb, col 429), when the Migration Advisory Committee will report on the long-term needs of those parts of the agriculture sector that rely on seasonal agricultural workers.

baroness williams of trafford: On 27 July 2017, the Government commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to gather evidence on patterns of EU migration and the role of migration in the wider economy. It has been asked to report by September 2018 and I understand that the MAC hope to publish an interim report in the near future.

British Nationality

lord eames: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many persons sought British citizenship while resident in Northern Ireland in (1) 2014 to 2015, and (2) 2016 to 2017.

baroness williams of trafford: The available information relates to the number of people attending British citizenship ceremonies in Northern Ireland and is published in Home Office’s Immigration Statistics, October – December 2017, Citizenship table cz_08.These figures relate to successful applicants who are required to attend a citizenship ceremony as the final stage of their application and cover the majority of grants. They exclude those not required to attend a ceremony (primarily children under 18 years of age) and unsuccessful applications. Data on applications for British citizenship by the applicant’s place of residence at the time of application are not routinely collated centrally.A table of figures for 2014, 2015 and 2016 is provided below.People attending British citizenship ceremonies in Northern IrelandYearCeremonies attended201459520154472016650Source: Home Office, Migration Border AnalysisImmigration Statistics October to December 2017. Subset of data in table cz_08.Citizenship ceremony figures for 2017 will be published in Immigration Statistics January to March 2018 on 24th May 2018.

Passports: Northern Ireland

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government under what circumstances a person born in the Republic of Ireland after 1949, but living in Northern Ireland, can apply for a British passport; and what criteria apply to the decision whether to grant a British passport.

baroness williams of trafford: In order to apply for a British passport, a person must first hold a form of British nationality. The predominant form of British nationality in the UK is British Citizenship.The current nationality law, the British Nationality Act 1981, defines who is a British citizen. If a person is not automatically a British citizen by birth in the UK or a qualifying territory, then they may be a British citizen by descent. Alternatively, a person can naturalise or register as a British citizen if they meet the relevant statutory requirements.The criteria that applies to decisions on whether to grant a British passport, is set out in the written ministerial statement of 25 April 2013. This can be found on Gov.uk.

Treasury

Freezing of Assets: Libya

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the current monetary value of Libyan government assets frozen in the UK.

lord bates: At close of business on 29 September 2017 the total value of Libyan assets frozen in the UK was £12.061 billion. OFSI undertakes an annual frozen asset review requiring all persons or institutions that hold or control frozen funds in the UK to report to OFSI, from which this figure is taken. HM Treasury does not provide a breakdown of the value of frozen assets held by certain individuals or entities. The figure is therefore provided on an aggregate basis.

Freezing of Assets: Libya

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what safeguards are in place to prevent the misappropriation of Libyan government assets frozen in the UK.

lord bates: Council Regulation (EU) 2016/44 of 18 January 2016 imposes an asset freeze against a number of listed individuals and entities associated with the Libyan Government. The EU regulation, which has direct effect in the UK, requires that all assets owned or controlled by listed persons are frozen. Frozen funds cannot be accessed except under the authority of HM Treasury, the competent authority for the implementation and enforcement of financial sanctions in the UK. Where an asset freeze is in place, it is a criminal offence to release the frozen funds or deal with them without a licence from the Official of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), which is part of HM Treasury. OFSI will only consider licensing the release of frozen funds if the activity falls within the licensing grounds available in the legislation. OFSI’s policy is to preserve the value of misappropriated government assets and it takes this into consideration when applying the EU and UK sanctions regime licensing grounds. OFSI also undertakes an annual frozen asset review requiring all persons or institutions that hold or control frozen funds in the UK to report to OFSI. This reporting exercise ensures our records reflect any changes to the level of frozen assets made during the reporting period.

Child Tax Credit

baroness primarolo: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the percentage change in Child Tax Credit, and its predecessor Family Tax Credit, between (1) 1987 and 1991, (2) 1992 and 1997, (3) 1998 and 2003, and (4) 2004 and 2009.

lord bates: There was no single rate of support payable to claimants of Family Credit, Working Families’ Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit over these time periods. Claimants were entitled to a number of different elements and support was tapered by income which resulted in variable amounts being received.

Child Benefit

baroness primarolo: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the percentage change in Child Benefit for (1) the first child, and (2) each subsequent child, between (a) 1987 and 1991, (b) 1992 and 1997, (c) 1998 and 2003, and (d) 2004 and 2009.

lord bates: The table below shows the percentage changes in Child Benefit rates for the first child and each subsequent child between, (a) 1987 and 1991, (b) 1992 and 1997, (c) 1998 and 2003, and (d) 2004 and 2009, below.  DateFirst ChildSubsequent ChildrenCoupleLone Parent1987-199113.8%15.9%0.0%1992-199714.5%10.3%15.4%1998-200340.2%2.6%15.6%2004-2009a21.2%14.0%19.5%Notes:   The rates compared in each year correspond to on or around the 6th of April.aOn 06/07/98, the separate rate for lone parents was abolished for new claimants, who now receive the same rate as couples. The rates shown after this date, therefore, applied to existing claimants only. Therefore, the differentiated rates for couples and lone parents in 2004 have been compared against the singular rate for the claimant's first child seen in 2009.

Children: Poverty

baroness primarolo: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on child poverty of the freeze in Child Tax Credits, Working Tax Credits and Jobseeker's Allowance between 2015 and 2017.

lord bates: During the passage of Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016 the government published an Impact Assessment of the benefit rate freeze. This is attached.  



impact assessment.
(PDF Document, 263.21 KB)

UK Trade with EU

lord livermore: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the impact on government borrowing of a free trade agreement with the EU compared to membership of the Single Market in each year between 2019 and 2033.

lord bates: The Government is undertaking a wide range of analysis and preparatory work to support our EU exit negotiations and preparations. However, it is not standard practice to provide an ongoing commentary on internal analysis. Ministers have a specific responsibility, which Parliament has endorsed, not to release information that would undermine our negotiating position. The analysis recently published by the Commons Exiting the EU Committee does not represent Government policy. It is an information gathering exercise, there to test ideas. It is analysis of existing trade relationships - none of which is the outcome we are working towards.

Overseas Aid

lord stoddart of swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 16 February (HL5444), what assessment they have made of the compatibility of the UK's commitment to spend 0.79 per cent of Gross National Income on overseas aid with cuts in spending for other public services.

lord bates: The government takes a balanced approach to government spending, getting debt falling but also investing in our key public services like the NHS, and keeping taxes low. It also believes that the UK has a moral obligation to the world’s poorest, and the UK will continue to keep its promise to spend 0.70 per cent of Gross National Income on Official Development Assistance (ODA). This represents less than 2 per cent of total public spending.